Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
by Precious .N. Pristine
Summary: -FIC ON TEMPORARY HIATUS-  Two shadows lurking in the sombre shadows of midnight. Memories continue to haunt you even if you tried to escape from the maniacal madness that binds you... For the soldier, it's hard to end the interminable conflict.
1. Prologue

**D + 32:07:11 (Sergeant Flippy Mission Clock) / En route to TIGER TRIANGLE BASE;**  
** - Operation: LONG DEGREE**

It was strange. It seemed strange.

Deemed strange.

In the vicinity of the strange.

Yet, 'strange' did not qualify to be a suitable word in Flippy's situation. He still had that sinking feeling in his mind. It lingered about, being the reason as to why he felt insecure in trepidation. His stony cold hands trembled uncontrollably. The sergeant that was sharpening his combat knife previously, was shuddering with uncertainty. Cold beads of sweat began to trickle down the soldier's forehead. A lump managed to form in his parched dry throat. The calm demeanor he had always practiced didn't seem to help him now. This wasn't the first mission in infiltrating a foe's territory; in fact, it was his sixth.

Supposedly he was becoming accustomed to the routine of snapping an enemy's neck and stabbing him in the chest. It wasn't that easy on the first try, but it was good enough to keep one's mouth shut as his life drains out painfully. Flippy dressed up in the TIGER ARMY's disgusting blue in hopes of deceiving the enemy, especially the leader. Much to his expectations, those blind idiots weren't able to distinguish between a friend and a disguised foe. He sometimes wished that his enemies would be a little more clever than snobbish and arrogant. Cherry colored flowers would soon bloom, and those damn souls would be crushed along with their cages of defiled flesh. Yet, he was surprised when he found out that both sides were in a tie.

To be frank, Flippy preferred killing his enemies in his favorite green army wear. He felt cleaner having a crimson liquid dirtying the thick jade cloth.

However, he felt the opposite now. The sixth mission had already brought him to a new door. A door that led to fear and paranoia. It almost felt as though he knew something would go wrong. Not, wrong, but horribly wrong. Despite everything being in tip-top shape, he secretly felt a tragedy striking before the curtains would fall.

Before his comrades would fall.

_"Flippy?"_

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Flippy snapped to attention. His eyes darted around, and the man realized that he was sitting in a truck. The vehicle bumped on the uneven jungle road, causing Flippy to jump out of his skin for a split second. The stealth marine eyed the sergeant carefully and smiled in concern, "You looked like you saw a ghost or something. Ya alright?"

Flippy turned his his head to face the assassin, his unsure smile still quivering as he nodded. Sneaky raised an eyebrow and lowered it in worry, as though not convinced by his comrade's response. Flippy swallowed and nodded again, harder, "It's just the cold air around here... I guess. It makes me feel queasy. But I'm alright, thanks," He waved a hand in emphasis, not wanting to start an interrogation. Sneaky shrugged and took another puff of smoke from his tobacco. Flippy was sure to avert his eyes; he wasn't much of a fan of smoke. The Asian-like assassin stretched out with a yawn, ruffling his messy hair with a sweaty hand. His head-piece prevented his hair from flying all over the place.

It was impolite, but this was the Army. Everything was supposed to be impolite.

"Don't worry,_ signore._The General's plan will surely bring those kitty tigers the medicine they deserve," Flippy felt a pat on his shoulder, and he turned to face the oddly short heavy weapons officer.

He grinned nervously at Mouse Ka-Boom, who preferred to be addressed as Mouse. He was a short man, but with the manliest face out of everyone in the truck. He had a thick Italian accent, and his purple eyes twinkled at the sight of food, even at the bright red color of an apple. Even though he was known by his height, he wasn't intimidated by Sneaky who was freakishly tall. In fact, Mouse himself was intimidating. His pyromania and strength to carry a huge heavy pack on his back made him one of the many famous icons among the 3rd Battalion.

"I assure you, Flippy, that out victory shall be celebrated!" Mouse said out loudly, not minding the sudden squeak in his voice. The other soldiers didn't mind as well; they only grinned at each other in agreement. Flippy, knowing that Mouse would always be the one who would comfort him, tried to brighten up, "With the best pepperoni pizza?"

"_Bene_! With pizza it is! My treat!" Mouse smiled widely, rubbing his hands together with finality. Sneaky licked his lips at the thought of Mouse's famous Italian-homemade pepperoni pizza. It was the best, if not, the best pizza in the whole wide world. Everyone was eager to complete the mission.

Well, at least this mission wasn't going to be so bad. His comrades were all so confident and successful in their kills. Their skills couldn't be outmatched. However, he wasn't sure if they were really going to win the war. The war that raged on for years, affecting almost every single person on Earth... Flippy sighed and slumped back in his seat. He readied his rifle and kept his knife in his pocket. In order to make fruits, you have to make flowers bloom. "Save me some mozzarella when we get home," He nudged Mouse in the shoulder, finally finding a new source of confidence. Flippy was finally free of his stress.

Mouse grinned at the sergeant. "If you promise to buy some Tiger meat from the _maladetto inferno!_"

"I'll try to keep that promise."

* * *

The rumble of the engines and snores of soldiers were the only thing Flippy had heard. He didn't notice himself leaning towards the peaceful Mouse in slumber. When he did, the sergeant jolted away from the small man, bumping against Sneaky in the process. However, the assassin only yawned without covering his mouth, going back to sleep in his seat.**  
**

It was only a matter of time before he heard a loud bang.

It pierced through the air, like a bullet, shaking the sergeant from his sleep. Another gunshot came by and a tire was wasted. Flippy shot his head up, grabbing his hat from the blood tray. The other soldiers who were perpetually disturbed from their nap tried to regain their consciousness by holding on to their seats. Flippy felt the truck vibrate and jerk violently. He could hear the driver yelling, "_We've been detected!_

"EVERYONE, MOVE OUT! Go, go, GO!" Flippy hurriedly took his backpack and sprang out from the vehicle, followed by the other passengers. Sneaky was the first; he ran towards a cluster of trees and brandished out his large knife. He cut down the branches and shouted, "Come, follow me! Quick!"

When the soldiers had escaped into the forest, Flippy gasped, "What the hell was that, Sneaky?"

"I think they found us. Those bastards just keep coming! Corporal Haven should have kept watch at his camp. We'll have to split up and meet at rendezvous point at Haven's camp," Sneaky suggested, slicing at the trees randomly in order to make a clear path. The driver, Major Riley, turned around and looked at the soldiers, "Sneaky, Mouse, Flippy, you're with me."

"Sir!" Flippy said, straightening up as he watched his superior group the remaining marines into fours. Mouse shivered, "Sir, I think we should move now. I don't like being stuck in this rut."

Major Riley snarled at the short man, "And I don't either. So get moving! On your feet!"

The four men sprinted on the mud, swiping away branches with their knives. Flippy wasn't able to dodge the large incoming branches but he was still able to move on. He looked behind to see the assigned foursomes departing into different directions of the jungle.

He thought that he would be seeing them soon, but they never came back.

Nobody came back.


	2. Sun's Awakening

**(EDIT: 9/16/2011 for Chapter 1 and Prologue~!)**

Alright~ So I made a remake- no, actually I just edited some stuffs here and there such as changing the names of the characters *long breath* simply because I feel that people will understand better if the original HTF cast names are featured rather than human names :) Nevertheless, I'm still fond of Filliq rather than Fliqpy to tell the truth. ... Lol, my selfishness. Anyhow, if anyone wants the HUMAN NAME version, well... message plz? I can send you lol xD I'll just change everything. The names, of course.

AHEM SO! Yeah it's the start of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie! I see that Hikarra (awesome artist plus friend :3) made a cover of my story and I decided: hey. Let's do this story again. I have exams, but screw that. Anyhow, you saw Sneaky and Mouse Kaboom in her cover, and it's true, they ARE gonna feature in the story. Ufufu, also there's some romance in as well. Beside usual murders and stuff, DARK SEXUAL ANTRIC HYSTERICAL- ahem, plus some fluffy romance will be in the story too. I'll not take some common canon couples like Handy and Petunia, sorry~ Yaoi couple in here too.

~Flippy x Flaky (MAJOR)  
~Fliqpy x Flaky (MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR) :D  
~Fliqpy x Flippy (... Misunderstanding scenario. Not REALLY INTENDED)  
~Splendid x Giggles (Yeahh~ I love them from Splendid's debut)  
~Cuddles x Giggles (Love triangle~!)  
~Sniffles x Lumpy (Ahem! Well, they're kinda cute.)  
~Petunia x Shifty (Hah! Yeah, I love them. They're erm... very interesting and the couple's odd!)  
~Lammy x Mr. Pickles (Loving couple, loving family.)  
~Sneaky x Petunia (lol.)

So that's probably all couples. I changed the summary because it looks fantastically lame. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the story~ I'll edit Chap 2 when I get to it!

* * *

**CHAPTER 1 - Sun's Awakening (re-edit)**

...

It was like any other day. Behind the towering shield of clouds, the golden sun started to peer out once more.

Like a child's picture book it was: the weather and serenity served at its contents. It started off with the radiant star that brightens up the atmosphere in Happy Tree Valley. All was quiet in the spring air. The zephyr gently caressed the newborn leaves. Trees breathed in the birth of a new day, spreading their long branches out in a stretch. Cream canaries and lively sparrows danced together in the dawn sky in rhythmic harmony, singing a melodious song. The sun had yet to paint the town in a rainbow of colors, though cherishing this moment of a peaceful morning was more important than preparing for the day.

Such as Flaky, who forced to switch her body clock so that she could wake up at six in the morning. She wanted to witness the beautiful birth of another wonderful day. Morning: the recreation of creations. She was often welcomed by new opportunities and chances that are available to her, though her numerous fears might bring her down. However, she tried her very best to succeed in almost everything she could compete in. Flaky could almost feel her heart throbbing in shuddering excitement. The sun had risen and splattered colorful hues that painted the valley like a pastel watercolor painting. The peering sunlight had managed to seep through the thin white curtains that were shielding the frosted windows.

"Nn..." As the sunlight shot at Flaky's face, the red-haired girl whimpered, burying her soft face into the covers. She felt so peaceful, so relaxed, so calm, yet laziness began to rise. Oh, how nice did it feel to be embraced by a cozy blanket of cool air. It beckoned her with a pestering and childish finger, wanting her to be the first to see the spring-filled morning.

Indeed did she hop off her bed in response, stretching her thin arms and kicking her pink slippers in the process. She went up to the large window and drew the curtains open, inhaling the crisp fresh air deeply. The oxygen reached into her lungs and gave her a feeling of refreshment and mirth. The little fountain near the mailbox was occupied by a threesome of canaries, bathing their cream-colored feathers in clear shiny water.

Flaky was, at first, scared of birds. However, as time went by, her phobia of them soon faded away without a doubt. She found the corners of her mouth curving into a smile when the animals chirped with each other cutely. One bird did fell into the water; in fact, the one beside the bird had also fallen with a large splash, causing the other birds to flee.

She giggled. How silly of those birds. Even if it was stupid, it was adorable. It reminded her of herself when she was dreadfully clumsy in her young years. Now, as a fully fledged young adult, or almost one, she promised herself she would be vigilant.

Walking through her bedroom to the calendar that was pinned on the wall, Flaky checked to see if she had plans for the day. The calendar was drawn with pencil-strewn boxes and numbers written from crayon. It was a gift from Giggles and Cuddles that Flaky could never refuse. The pinkette and blond had always made calendars for her every year.

"Hmm..." Flaky put a finger on her mouth as her other hand searched through the month of 'January'. She had already helped Petunia and Handy in renovating the Crunchy Shapes restaurant on the fifteenth, attended Toothy and Nutty's sleepover at Nutty's on the nineteenth. As her finger descended the page, she soon found another plan that caught her eye. Undone unlike the others, she was supposed to help Flippy in buying new furniture on... "The twenty-fifth."

Which was today. "Oh dear!" Flaky slapped her forehead as the event had dawned on her. She was to accompany Flippy who was in need of a second opinion on house decor, but she had to be at his house in- Her rosy red eyes then darted to the clock resting at her side-table. The minute hand had just struck forty-five minutes past six. She was certain she woke up at six, but she did remember lying in bed for a few more minutes...

Stunned by the limited amount of time she had left, Flaky made a quick sprint to the showers. She grabbed her towel and stripped off her nightwear, not wasting any moment to turn on the shower. Cold water sprinkled out, much to Flaky's dismay. However, it didn't matter to her much. She attempted to multi-task by brushing her teeth and washing her hair at the same time. Her body was shivering as the icy impact on her caused her to stutter aloud in misery.

Thankfully, it only took a mere five minutes. Flaky sprang out from the bathroom in her towel and hurried to her drawers in search of her daily wear. She snatched her undergarments, her maroon sweater, black boots, black leggings and the hand-knitted scarf Flippy had made for her.

She threw herself into those said clothes, and with the comb in her mouth, adjusted her scarf at the dressing table. Three minutes; she could hear a familiar bicycle bell sound nearby.

"Flaaakkyy!" That voice shouted a second after the bell had sound. Flaky froze; she had the tendency to freeze in time whenever there was a loud, shock-giving sound. Flaky turned towards the window to find Flippy, in his regular army wear, cycling towards her house. Her cheeks somehow flushed because she knew she wasn't even ready to take a step out of the house. Flaky waved out from the window so that he could see her, and just as she was about make a turn to get to the door to welcome him in, she-

"A-Aah!" Fell through the open window.

Flaky whimpered helplessly like a puppy. She raised her hands to her temples and scratched her head. Flaky then looked to see if she had sustained any injuries. There was a minor bruise but it was hidden under her shirt. It hurt a little but it was fine. Why was she so careless? Her promise to be careful had already been broken. She had landed on the parched grass, hitting her noggin. Stars were circling above her head and her vision went blurry. Before she could get clear of whatever was going on, Flippy had already come to treat her. He bent down in a flash and asked worriedly, "Flaky, are you alright?"

And as soon as Flaky looked up, the blurry images had ceased. She realized that Flippy came to help her; she forced a grin. "I-I'm alright, thank you," She laughed out nervously, preferring to stand up by herself. However, as she stood up, droplets of water trickled down from the strands of her pointy hair.

"Your hair's wet," Flippy said for her. His dark jade eyes gazed curiously down on her red hair as his hand ran through the sharp strands, collecting a few of the droplets in his gloved palm. Flaky moaned in lament and sighed; she was too absent-minded sometimes. She turned to Flippy who snatched his hand back rather quickly. "So... What are you planning to buy?" Flaky returned to the main subject.

Flippy blinked at her, and understood what she had meant. "Oh, you meant the furniture?" He asked, before seeing the girl nod.

He scratched the back of his neck and explained, "Well I was considering buying some new chairs and tables, that's all. Also, I think my pictures need to have new frames and the chandelier's need some dusting."

He looked at Flaky who waited for him to finish. "So you could say it's like shopping and spring-cleaning at the same time. I just need help on deciding on what to buy- You know, have someone's opinion on my decisions."

"But I'm not really a perceptive person..." Flaky protested in a meek voice, only to be interrupted by Flippy's merry laugh. "Which is why I pick you, Flaky," He grinned awkwardly, not knowing an answer to directly point out his inability to make wise decisions.

Flaky, not understanding what the war veteran had meant, only nodded while she stared at the round. "Oh..." was the only thing that came out from her mouth. She had been in Flippy's house more than anyone else had so perhaps that was the reason why Flippy had chosen her. For some other reason, Flaky felt herself drown in low hopes. The morning she had witnessed was portrayed too normal even if it was majestically magnificent; too normal for her liking. Because of this, she suspected that something would go wrong.

Such as someone who could die at the top of the list-

"So are we going? Flaky?"

Flippy waved an uncertain hand in front of Flaky's face, bringing her back to reality. He saw her stare into empty space and wondered if she were to be in deep thought. Flaky, who noticed the gloved hand in front of her dreaming eyes, jumped back in surprise with a yelp. "Ah! O-Oh, okay. I lent my bicycle to Toothy so..."

"You can go on mine," Flippy pointed to his bicycle, and it was decided. Flaky climbed on behind the veteran, locking her arms around his stomach. Even if it wasn't her first time riding with Flippy, she still couldn't help but be afraid if she were to fall. Again. Oh the joy of carelessness coming back to her again.

Flippy and Flaky were good friends. Close, but still friends. Flaky didn't mind anyway; she enjoyed spending time with Flippy - or at least with the good Flippy. However, she was still the only one Flippy could trust in snapping him out of his flipped-out attitude whenever something goes wrong. In fact, Flaky was the only one the others depended on. It was such a hard task: to take care of Flippy when she should take care of herself. Luckily, Flippy made a deal to take care of her while she took care of him. Of course, Flaky didn't like the idea of 'taking care' and 'being taking cared of'. She didn't entirely knew what it meant, to tell the truth. Still, the deal was decided. There's no running away from that.

Sometimes it was easy to snap Flippy out of his flipped-out attitude. Firstly, Flaky or anybody who was close with Flippy (like Splendid) had to be in a location near to where Flippy was. When the flag is raised, a commotion is triggered. Flaky or a 'close friend' would have to race to the scene before Flippy could hurt a yet-to-be or already-targeted victim. Those who would bring the children and other witnesses to safety would be Petunia, Toothy or - rarely - Lumpy. When the time was precise, Flaky would have to use the same and success-bringing technique: screaming. Her screams could flawlessly bring Flippy to realization, out of his maniacal madness. On several occasions, her screams could help to call Splendid.

Nonetheless, there were times where Flippy had snapped out of it and possibly not in a good way. One of the least bad things he could do is to turn around and smash the nearest mirror or a surface where he could see his reflection. Then, completely immobilized, he would crawl up into a ball in a corner and clutch his head, murmuring incoherent words to himself - signs of mental breakdown. Unfortunately, even if it meant that the victim was safe, Flippy would have to suffer the consequences of slipping into a coma for, perhaps, two months.

Or otherwise, if the technique brought no effect at all, Flaky would have to distract Flippy from finishing off his victim. It had brought her into all sorts of trouble but it was the only thing to protect her friends and Flippy from hurting himself. Thankfully, she could escape from him on several occasions. This had led many of her friends to think the opposite way of Flippy 'hunting' Flaky down, even if Flaky didn't know what they had meant.

People like Petunia and Giggles had always asked Flaky if Flippy had asked her out before. She said yes but Flippy had only taken her out for help such as moving things from one door to another, cook for special occasions, et cetera. It wasn't a lie, or technically not a real lie. Petunia and Giggles, in disappointment, were expecting a more 'reliable' answer. Nevertheless, Flaky wouldn't speak a word. Like a small little kid in a seventeen-year-old's heart, she wasn't feeling comfortable when dealing with a relationship. Flippy didn't mind which was fine for her. He never really started making an intimate connection but he did think about it. As for Flaky, she was still unsure. Maybe, just maybe, after some time, her feelings would develop enough for her to confess. Her feelings weren't as absolute but she tried her best to make them grow - if only she could get rid of the phobia of the blood thirsty Flippy.

And now she sat behind him, hugging his back as both cycled around the row of stores. Flippy's eyes gazed around from left to right, trying to find Lammy and Mr. Pickle's antique shop. Flaky peered above Flippy's shoulder, spotting a familiar lavender-haired woman with a tall, posh man in a top hat and tuxedo. "T-There they are, look!" Flaky pointed out while trying to keep her balance.

Flippy pulled over in front of the shop. Mr. Pickles and Lammy were busy having a tea party of scones and hot chocolate under the shady shelter. They both stood up from their table and waved at their customers.

Lammy smiled at Flippy, "Here to order our finest antiques? We had a new batch coming in just yesterday." She let out his hand. Flippy took his hat off his head and bowed in front of the lady, planting his lips on her hand lightly as a regular greeting. He quickly stood straight when Mr. Pickles stopped to stare at the soldier. Lammy giggled and looked at the bashful Flaky, "And what brings this fine lady here? Are you two here because...?"

Flaky and Flippy blinked at the woman.

Their eyes then widened; realization had hit.

"Oh! No, no, NO, y-you have it all wrong! I'm just a friend!" Flaky waved her hands frantically as her face turned red as a beetroot, while Flippy looked away with a slight burn in his cheeks. He forced himself to avert his eyes from Mr. Pickles' cold yet curious stare. Lammy laughed again, "I apologize if my expectations were set too high. Please forgive me."

A few seconds passed and Mr. Pickles brought his hand to his mouth, coughing an 'ahem'. Lammy then remembered, "Oh yes, the furniture! Come in, come in, we shan't be wasting your time here. Please, do come with me."

The antique shop was none of what Flaky had imagined. In fact, it was different from what she had remembered. The walls were colored a dark green and the two chandeliers which were strategically placed on the ceiling gave the room a royal vibe. Paintings littered the wall, tasteful chairs and couches served as an appeal to the eye and the fine selection of cloth was a dime a dozen near the counter. She wondered if she was standing in a parlor of a huge mansion rather than an antique store. Her head was getting dizzy from all the beautiful items laying around.

Mr. Pickles moved aside for the two customers to enter, "Do take your time to browse through our fine selection."

"Um- thank you," Flaky nodded at the mustached man and went after Flippy, watching as his eyes glittered with pure fascination. The soldier had clasped his hands together and breathed, "This is better than last time~!"

"Thank you," Lammy said in a cheerful voice. She then turned from the day dreaming Flippy to Flaky who was walking around in the shop in wonder, "Do you like the furniture?"

Flaky immediately froze when she heard Lammy's voice. The slender woman walked up to her and patted her shoulder gently. She had that peculiar smile on her face which seemed foreign towards Flaky. The lady did come from England, after all. She was perhaps the most beautiful woman Flaky had ever laid eyes on. She treated everyone like little toddlers sometimes, including her husband, but she was kind and composed even in the most disastrous situations. Her cool demeanor almost blew the red-haired girl away. Flaky looked up at Lammy and asked in a slight stutter, "Y-Yes...?"

Lammy then sighed, tilting her head and cupping her cheek in a porcelain-like hand, "It must be hard to cope with dear Flippy. He can sometimes be a little child in those large combat boots, don't you think?" Flaky's face turned red again and she protested, "But I'm just helping him pick the furniture! I'm not moving in with him or anything..."

How could she not know that what Flippy behind her back was so gruesome and monstrous? And she didn't even mind about a person losing his life because of a careless gunshot-like sound! Lammy only smiled at the red-haired girl sweetly, not sure why Flaky was shocked and stunned. "Oh, what a pity..." She whispered quietly to herself in response to Flaky's protest.

Meanwhile, Flippy was admiring the beautiful chairs when he noticed that he wasn't the only one deeply engrossed in the antiques. Two identical young men, only five feet away, were busy snickering to themselves.

"Hey, big brother, I believe this will be a piece of cake to get this sofa," A jade-haired boy whispered to the taller one who agreed, "If we have the chance to do it, that is, Lifty."

"What are you talking about? Surely nobody will notice-"

"May I ask what you two are discussing about?" A voice surprised the two twins, causing them to freeze in place. Mr. Pickles, who was behind the two males, straightened his glasses. He leaned in between the their shoulders, grabbed them with two strangling hands and whispered coldly, "I do suggest you leave this shop _immediately_, or I will have to call security to haul your poor behinds out of here."

Flippy walked towards the party and asked, "What's with the hold up, sir?" Lifty and Shifty gulped in unison while the British man sighed in frustration. "No worries, Flippy. It's just that bearing the risk of having my furniture stolen is a difficult task to do."

The soldier eyed the twins and pulled a smug look, "Oh, really...?" The twins, who were cornered, pouted in defeat. Shifty then snatched his younger brother's hand and muttered, "Come on, let's go. We don't have time to go googly-eyed over these disgusting pieces of historical bullshit."

"But big brother, they do look pretty fancy-"

"I don't care if they that fancy-shmancy!" Shifty cut his brother off, storming out of the shop. Lammy approached Mr. Pickles and frowned, "What happened just now, dear? Did anything go wrong or something?"

Mr. Pickles tipped his hat and turned towards his wife, "Oh, nothing, Lammy. Nothing happened at all." Flaky looked over at Flippy who raised his shoulders in a shrug. Mr. Pickles then looked at his watch and blinked, "Oh, what you look at the time. I have to take care of the paperwork which is due today. Apologies if I may not be available to assist you from now until twelve."

"It's fine, sir," Flippy waved the man off. When Mr. Pickles had moved away to his office, Lammy excused herself, "I'll be at the counter if you need me."

Flaky waited until she and Flippy were alone and turned to him. "So any luck choosing...?" She asked slowly, not sure of what to say as the expression on Flippy's face was almost unreadable. Almost.

He did cock his head to his right and smiled dreamily, "Oh, I don't know... I like the couch with the red covers... It makes it feel like a red carpet, you know?"

Flippy did own a red carpet at home. "Alright, so I'm thinking of buying this type of wallpaper," Flippy said, moving to the long roll of paper and pulling a little for Flaky to see. It was an emerald-colored wallpaper with Celtic-like drawings; a custom version of the Seabrook Cottage Cover. Flaky put a finger at her mouth and tapped her lower lip. It did look quite nice but she liked the one with the mimosa-like patterns; it wasn't as obvious as the one Flippy had chosen because it looked less flowery and classier. Flippy questioned, "What do you think?"

"I like this one better, though. I think it fits with the couch you mentioned earlier," Flaky pointed to the roll below the one Flippy was holding. Indeed did it match better with the couch; Flippy scratched his head in utter confusion and embarrassment. "Oh, you're right. This matches better with red," Flippy laughed.

Flaky realized that her opinions for Flippy's decisions seemed to help him be a better thinker. Flippy waited until Flaky slowly explained her reasonable thoughts and absorbed in whatever advice he was given.

The red-haired girl was just about to suggest another item when Mr. Pickles walked out from his office. "Lammy, do you have a stapler somewhere? I can't seem to find one at the desk."

Lammy looked and up and nodded, "Yes, I do; it's right here. Where do you want to staple it?" Mr. Pickles pointed to the corner of a stack of papers. Lammy took the papers and put them on the table. She tried to push the stapler down but it wouldn't work. She used her fist to wham on it, making a large '_Bang!'_ sound. She did this a few times, trying to push the staple through the thick stack of papers.

_Bang! _

Flippy shook, and turned towards the English couple. _Bang!_ It came again.

It sounded like a punch. No, not on the face. It sounded like a fist pounding on the table, demanding answers from a captured prisoner... And those eyes, those dilated pupils, staring into his comrade's eyes as the captor growled at him... That's right. He stood there, in the doorway, with the guards taken out, about to save his friend. How _dare_ did that god damn enemy Major of a betrayer _torture_ his _comrade_ like that. _That bloody liar… That bloody murderer... That bloody traitor..._

Flippy blinked a few times as he started to breathe fast, clutching his face in one hand. Flaky saw Flippy slowly changing; his eyes began to turn yellow.

He was slowly flipping-out.

Flaky gulped, and darted her eyes for an object. She spotted a cushion resting on a sofa and grabbed it, smacking Flippy's face as hard as she can with it. Thankfully, Lammy had finally budged the staple bullet in. Flippy's neck snapped and he stopped. His eyes returned to its normal jade color. The couple turned to see what had happened to find Flaky pressing the cushion in Flippy's cheek.

"Umm..." Flaky found out that Lammy and Mr. Pirckles were looking at her and she tried to find a way to make the flip-out look like an innocent act, "Isn't this more comfy than the cushions on the other sofa, Flippy?" She rubbed his cheek with it, praying to God that the couple would look away. Indeed they did: they rolled their eyes and returned to their work.

Flippy took the cushion from Flaky and whispered, "What was that for?"

The red-haired replied meekly, "You had almost flipped-out, Flippy." This caused the soldier to blink in surprise and stun. "Oh... crap," Fillip mouthed.

Flaky nodded. "Well, it's a good thing they didn't see you, because if they did, well... You know..."

"Mmhmm." Flippy looked as though he had seen himself with three heads. Flaky suggested, "Let's just go with this quickly and get to your place-"

"Yes, let's," Flippy agreed, throwing the cushion back on the sofa. However, he missed. He threw the cushion somewhere else, farther than the sofa and it happened to land on the precise and perfect spot in front of Mr. Pickles' office. Not giving care, Flippy rushed over to the counter to make his order.

When the man came out of his room again, he stepped on the cushion, slipped, did a somersault in the air and fell straight on his butt.

"Honey!" Lammy cried, running to the man's aid. She then looked up from her moaning husband, not seeing a trace left by Flippy or Flaky.

Both customers had already fled after they had made their choice and sign the papers at her counter.

* * *

"That was lucky," Flaky heaved a sigh of relief as she clung onto Flippy's back. Flippy looked back and nodded, "Agreed. I wouldn't want to know what the hell will happen if I actually flipped-out back there."

Flaky gulped at the thought. "It wouldn't be good, I know," Flippy laughed. It wasn't long before the previously napping Fliqpy had slipped into Flippy's mind, _Oh, but really? I think it will be good, considering how that old man deserves the treatment an old man deserves. Also, my knife feels terribly lonely. _This made Flippy twitch with utter annoyance, and he shook his head, throwing Fliqpy around in his brain until he disappeared into thin air in a poof of mind smoke. _What the- JESUS FUCKING CHRIST-!_

_Poof._

Trying to turn to another subject, Flippy asked, "So you're helping me prepare the house with the whole 'spring-cleaning' fest, right?"

The red-haired nodded. Firstly, she had to remove the picture frames and put the photos to one side. Secondly, she had to take down whatever decorations there was on the wall like clocks, shelves and awards. Thirdly, Flippy needed her help to remove the chairs, tables and cupboards to one side to take the carpet off the floor. Nevertheless, this was only three of the main things Flaky was required to do; there was still tons of things needed to be done. Also, Lumpy was coming in to help remove the former wallpaper. Flippy prayed to dear God that his house wouldn't be ruined, but he knew he trusted the blue-haired multi-task.

The soldier sighed, wondering the many things that he had to take care of. There were even things that Fliqpy was helping with; the thought made Flippy shiver but the rest of the Happy Tree Valley residents were somewhat busy with their own work. Fliqpy would be taking care of almost everything. Flippy turned around a bend, looking around to find the regular road to where he would find his house.

Unlike the rest of the houses, Flippy was the nearest to the forest. Lumpy had nicknamed the soldier's home 'The Biggest Fanciest House' and he loved to visit Flippy whenever he had the time, even if the house resembled a U.S Armed Forces' structure of a Quonset hut or a modified version of it.

When the two had reached Flippy's house, Flaky was already hungry. She had just remembered that he hadn't eaten after falling out of that window at her place. Flippy claimed he didn't eat either and suggested, "Got some cookies in the jar on the breakfast table if you want. I think there's still milk in the fridge."

"That will be wonderful," Flaky yawned. She walked up the stairs which were made up of the strongest wood, the strongest Flippy had brought back with. It could withstand the weight of a vault and the mass of a dinosaur. Flippy went to the front door and fitted his keys into the keyhole, swinging the door open. He turned on the lights and moved aside for Flaky to go in, "Go freshen up in the kitchen."

"Mmhmm..." Flaky turned and made her way to the kitchen. Flippy, who realized that his eyes were dry, decided to go to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and rushed to the sink, splashing cold water in his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and his reflection changed.

His reflection's eyes were a yellowish color and a devilish smirk was drawn on its face. Fliqpy, he preferred to call himself. Flippy wondered why his twin had a different name at first, but the cruelty and murderous intent his twin had was more than enough to give a more reliable reason.

_'Morning, sunshine. Had a new visitor?_

"What do you think," Flippy rolled his eyes. Fliqpy had the same ol' smile on his face; that familiar smile. Flippy glared at his twin, "You're thinking of that now, aren't you."

_I didn't say anything._

"I know you better than you know yourself," Indeed did he knew better. Fliqpy was his split-personality/double-time-of-a-freak/so-called-primal-instinct-feeder or whatever he wanted to call it. If he was the reason why Fliqpy was born then he should know his own creation better. However, sadly, the damn bastard didn't want to cope with his creator.

_Flippy, my dear sir, is there a time in the world where I won't kill somebody?_

"No." What a blatant answer.

_Exactly. So tell me who you brought home and maybe I'll change my mind._

"Would it hurt if I say Flaky?" Flippy said straightforwardly, folding his arms as he maintained his cold stare. Fliqpy's eyes widened for almost five seconds and he lowly whistled, _Dear Flaky again! Ah, that adorable hotty. Well, I do kill her several times. Oh wait, WE kill her several times._

Flippy smacked his forehead and groaned. _Well, genius, it's not like I'm going to hurt her or anything,_ Fliqpy sneered at the soldier who felt high in doubt. Flippy didn't believe Fliqpy at all. Besides, what could possibly go wrong if Fliqpy happened to take over Flippy's body and see Flaky in the kitchen eating cookies? Well, everything would. "I brought a girl home, ALONE, and you say you're not going to hurt her. Isn't that the best thing in the whole wide world?

"No. So get lost," Flippy made a turn to leave the bathroom, but Fliqpy's voice still lingered in his head.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a second. You think I was kidding? You think I was just making a fucking joke? _Fliqpy tried to stop Flippy and he did. Well, only for a brief moment. Flippy rolled his eyes again and explained, "Hmm, for personalities like you, I can't believe that you didn't take in consideration that, whenever you make promises to me, you blunder. So! I made my point-"

_Fine, fine, FINE! Jeez, I get it already. _

"Oh, do you? Then you're willing to-"

_Let me finish, ASSCAKE! Look, I know that today is the day when you put new shit in your house and throw the other shit away. And that you are extremely frustrated because of Mr. Double-ass Fliqpy. So, I'm making this up to you and I won't try to do anything that applies to beautiful violence that results in death, _Fliqpy raised three fingers as though he was in the Girl Scouts. Flippy raised an eyebrow, "I don't know if you're trying to pull my leg or that you want to sign up for Petunia's Brownie meetings."

_What the fuck, man. _

"How am I supposed to know that you're so positive about this?"

_Because! If I were to pull your leg, I'd tear it off from your body including your balls. Besides, since I'm stronger, I can lift up the furniture for you. _

"Can I trust you on this?" Flippy turned around to face the mirror, only to see Fliqpy's twitching eyes. Fliqpy moaned in lament, _Would it help if I say... Pretty please? Pretty please_? _Pretty-mother-fucking-please?_

Flippy rubbed his chin and thought about it for a while. If Fliqpy were to take over Flippy's body, then it would be hard for Flippy to take it back, unless Fliqpy allows his guard down. Fliqpy was already staring at Flippy with two bowie knives that seemed to manifest in the mirror out of nowhere. Flippy clutched his head and sighed,

"Alright, fine, you can take over my body."

_What, really? Are ya positive?  
_  
"Yeah."

_Holy shit, now I can touch myself again-_

"BUT!" Flippy interrupted abruptly, "You better not harm Flaky or Lumpy who's going to come over or-"

_What the fuck- You didn't tell me that the crazy-ass moose freak is coming again! _Fliqpy dropped his jaw, including the two bowie knives in his hands.

"OR ANYONE WHO COMES HERE! AT LEAST FOR TODAY!" Flippy pointed at his reflection, trying to make it quick. He didn't want to waste any more time with dealing with his own reflection; Flaky was waiting in the kitchen, possibly. Fliqpy was silenced for a while, for a mere ten seconds before he bowed down, _I promise to be a good boy._

"You sure you can handle this?"

_Like hell I'm not ready! Praise the lord! Handshake?_

Flippy stared at the hand that seemed to go through the mirror. Still, he was braver than Fliqpy. A tad braver, at least. "Handshake it is," Flippy let out his hand, and it was as though Fliqpy could reach out and take it. He could almost feel the firmness of Fliqpy's gloved hand until his twin pulled,

_NOW GIVE ME THE BODY, BITCH!_

Before Flippy could say anything, Fliqpy had already grabbed Flippy's resisting mind and invaded it with his own. He had pulled Flippy into the magical bathroom mirror of wonders and threw himself into the body's head. Flippy was startled when he found himself as a mirror's reflection and tried to holler. However, Fliqpy had already recovered and quickly smashed the mirror with a bar of soap, shattering the image of Flippy's shock.

He smacked his head to rid of what was left of Flippy's remains and swung his arms for a stretch. He then opened up his jacket and tapped his chest, picking up a shard of glass from the mirror.

He looked at it and smirked, "Good bye Smart-ass Flippy, hello Ass-kicking Fliqpy."


	3. Bitter Nostalgia :UNEDITED, UNCHANGED:

_A/N:_ This is **REALLY** late. I deeply apologize - school was being crazy. Mad teachers, suicidal friends and tests of doom. Yeah, it's like a month, I know but I try to update as much as I can xD Lemme just hope that my teacher won't be harsh on me for the mid-terms coming in a few months... ...Yeah. Life sucks sometimes but I won't go bat-shit insane on everyone~ Anyway, I know that everyone must be curious about Filliq's doings in this chapter.

Well, I'll try to save the violence. It can't come early... can it? I don't know, lol. There's some **Filliq x Flaky** in this chapter so those who love Fliqpy and Flaky, raise your hand! Fluffy stuff in it so don't expect a **WHOLE LOT** in this part. Besides, I love this couple. It's my absolute pairing in HTF, aside from **Flippy x Flaky**. **Fliqpy x Flaky** seems more tastier -impaled by a tree branch-.

At first I considered putting M-rated content here but it doesn't seem to fit in with the storyline YET. There's just going to be some minor suggestive content. Flaky's a virgin in this story by the way **(pfft, obviously. Filliq shall take care of that problem so I have none to worry.)** So please be patient, readers.

The content **shall** come. I cannot make promises but I'll try my best to ensure that it comes.

Enjoy reading!

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Pure Driven Nostalgia, They Say**

**... ...**

"Fillip? Where do you put the jar of cookies! It isn't on the table!" Flaky called out, wondering where the soldier had gone to. She had checked the cabinets while he was gone but it was nowhere to be found. She was puzzled; she swore she saw the jar sitting alone on the table a few minutes ago. Flaky had gone to the sink to wash her hands and the second she went to the table, the jar was already gone. It seemed like as though the jar had disappeared into thin air or somewhat. The red-haired girl walked into the hallway once again, scratching her head in utter confusion. She was about to turn back when she stopped midway moving only a fraction of an inch.

"Hello, Flaky."

The war veteran was sitting cross-legged at the table, having a cookie in his mouth. His elbow rested on a particular cookie jar on the table and he cupped his cheek in a hand. The man had yellow peering eyes, dark circles and an overshadowed face. The emotion in his eyes were unreadable but the devilish look was absolute. The corner of his mouth hitched up strangely, revealing the sharp teeth which trapped the small cookie in between. The soldier broke the cookie in a loud and single crunch, ripping the remains away with his hand. Some crumbs dropped onto the floor, making Flaky shiver.

She stuttered, "F-F-Fillip? Why are you here?" Flaky knew it wasn't Fillip. In fact, she didn't want to know at all. The so-called 'Fillip' widened his smile slightly, and an eyebrow crooked in a quiver. He laughed out sincerely as though he was talking to his own son.

"Fillip? Why, Flaky dear, have you already forgotten who I am?" He said in pretending surprise and hurt. Flaky swallowed a huge gulp and forced herself to face the man. Her trembling legs didn't help to conceal her fright. Her eyes scanned his body for any traces of his knife; she didn't want to see it near or with him at all. However, she didn't see anything shiny that might relate to a knife. Perhaps he didn't have it- but maybe he had hidden it somewhere. "Flaky? Are you afraid?"

The voice had jolted Flaky out of her thoughts. She let out a yelp, hugging herself tightly. She did remember his _other_ side's name, "F-F-Filliq?"

"Good girl," Filliq clapped once like a teacher, pushing the jar away. He threw the cookie into his mouth; Flaky shivered whenever a loud crunch of teeth was audible enough for her to hear. She didn't want to go near to Filliq; her phobia of him still exists somewhere in her. Her heart began pounding loud in her head and sweat broke out at her temples. Filliq tilted his head and let out a hand, beckoning her to come, "I've got something to tell you, Flaky."

Yes, tell her something. Tell her before she could die in his hands. Flaky remained silent and she didn't move a single limb. Like as said, she was frozen in place. She was taking multiple deep breaths but her throat was terribly dry. Filliq started to get annoyed and he stood up slowly, "I am trying to be polite and this is what I get. Come here, Flaky;_ now_."

Flaky tried not to move but her stubborn body moved against her, nearer and nearer to Filliq. The soldier seemed just as satisfied and walked up to her, taking a few strands of her long red hair. Flaky tried to hold her head in her shaking hands while her eyes searched for his knife. There was nothing sharp on him; his belts were empty with nothing but crumbs.

Flaky had expected him to scare her with a threatening prelude before he could brandish his knife and stab her in the stomach. However, Filliq did no such thing. He only brought the long strands up to his nose and breathed in her fragrance.

Strawberry-scented shampoo. How wonderful.

"W-What are you doing?" Flaky was afraid that he would rip out her hair and stuff it into her mouth like he had always did - but he didn't. He acted different now as if he was trying to imitate Fillip. He didn't let go of her hair but he did say, "So what is today's date?"

Today's date? "T-Twenty-fifth," Flaky responded meekly, trying to take hold of Filliq's hand in order to pry his fingers off her hair. Sadly, it didn't work; his fingers wouldn't budge. She wanted his hand off her hair until another hand grabbed her wrist firmly, hurting her to the bone. Flaky swallowed and gazed up at Filliq's eyes which only showed a bored and unfazed expression.

Even if he looked harmless, his actions hurt more than his words. Filliq then took only a few seconds to register, "So if today's the twenty-fifth, then that means that you and Fillip are going to help each other renovate Fillip's house, yes?"

Flaky bit her lip. "Y-Y-Yes, that is correct," She stammered. She was already terrified and helpless that she wanted to scream and run out of his house. Nonetheless, she knew that this wasn't going to work at all. It wouldn't help her any much. Filliq cocked his head to a side again and watched as Flaky feebly struggled weakly into having her hand back. This had led Flaky to mumble a few words, a few words that she had regretted, "P-Please don't hurt me... Please."

By the time she had said it, Filliq grabbed her wrist and pulled it up his shoulder quickly, despite the fact that the girl's arm was aching. Flaky cried out with eyes shut, praying that he wouldn't tear her arm from her socket.

"You really have the highest of expectations, you know that?" Filliq breathed harshly into her ear, causing Flaky to squirm, "And I wanted to be nice until you said those words."

The girl whimpered as she failed to fight for dominance. She had stopped moving but she tried to look away, only creating more room for Filliq's low voice to echo in her head. Her free hand caught hold of Filliq's brazen, trying to maintain her balance. Her legs now felt dead and cold. He didn't even attack her or even perform an assault; he only stared at her with eyes written with a bloody murderous persona.

It felt like a knife at Flaky's throat. Filliq was not the type of person to be trifled with. He wouldn't hesitate to tear someone apart if he/she were to be in his way. He was taught above the extreme level of violence; he enjoyed it and he made sure his victims would too. Filliq's face was similar to a killer clown's expressions without the make-up and freakish nose. His teeth was sharper and a psychotic little dot danced in both of his eyes. He loved the sight of the blood, the sound of the splatter and the coppery taste of it. Flaky remembered seeing him lick off blood from his fingers after a mass overkill in a restaurant - particularly Petunia's.

And now he was only a few moments from biting her ear off. He growled with a tighter tug of the lock of her hair, "Sometimes it hurts for me to think if I should spare somebody as weak as you."

"No... Please, I don't want it anymore..." Flaky fought back tears and she gazed at him with watery eyes. "I'll- I'll do anything- just please, don't kill me. I don't deserve any of this at- at-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence. Tears had already rolled down her rose cheeks. Filliq let go of her hair and took her chin so that he could have a better look at her sobbing face. He whispered raggedly, "Look at me and wipe those tears from your face. It's disgusting."

"Nn," Flaky whimpered as she used her trembling fingers to wipe her face. Her heart was still pumping loudly in her head. She was too scared to die that she had forgotten that Filliq was calling her name. The grip he had on her wrist had failed to bring her back to her senses. Flaky could feel something strike her at that moment.

"Flaky. I'm not gonna kill you."

Flaky then looked up and blinked. ... What?

"Although I would cherish the moment of spilling one's blood, I've made a promise with Fillip. A promise that I shouldn't kill anyone today," Filliq said firmly, only inches away from Flaky's face. Flaky blushed with intensity at the short distance but she tried to take in what the soldier had said. This wasn't anything that Flaky had imagined. In fact, it was directly the opposite. Filliq continued, "Fillip told me to help you to help ME do all the fancy renovating shit in this house. And I made a promise because of that."

"R-Really...?" Flaky said hopefully. This was not normal for Filliq but it was sweet. "S-So you're not going to hurt me?"

Filliq let go of Flask's almost cracking wrist, "Well, I did hurt you just now but I'm not going to kill you TODAY. Remember that." Flaky nodded, wiping the tears away from her face. Filliq went back to the table and took the jar. He walked back to the recovering girl and took the lid off. "Here, I guess you wanted some of these."

"Mmhmm..." Flaky took a cookie and slowly nibbled on it, biting on the edges. She still couldn't believe what had just happened. Even if it was weird for Filliq to fulfill a promise he had made with his twin, Flaky thought that it was a whole new side of Filliq which was not Fillip. She couldn't help but smile slightly until Filliq narrowed his eyes, "Now don't act so grateful in front of me. I'm not going to kill you today but that doesn't mean you'll escape from me without giving me something."

Flaky stopped through her biting. "I- I don't have anything that can be a gift for you s-so what do I give you?"

The soldier rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows in seeming concentration, "Nothing interesting is popping into my mind right now. Maybe I'll torture you whatever I like tonight and kill you tomorrow. So don't die on me today, but tomorrow."

"Oh." Flaky swallowed. She didn't know what torture meant. Obviously, she knew that torture meant pain but there are many ways to torture someone. She was afraid with any idea Filliq had. "Then what do we do now?"

Filliq threw the jar over his shoulder and put his hands on his hips. He tapped his foot as he leaned sideways to look at the hallway. "You ask me, I ask you. Fillip didn't give me shit."

"O-Okay..." Flaky stammered, "I think we'll have to remove everything on the walls... I think. At least in the living room and the bedrooms; we'll put the paintings and whatever is there aside first... I guess." Flaky turned around and pointed to the paintings before turning back to face an almost lost Filliq. He looked like he had understood but he had no freaking idea what both he and Flaky had to do. The only things he knew was kill, of course. "Alright... So we just take the god damn things off the damn walls?"

"I-I'm not so sure... Can I talk to Fillip?" Flaky mumbled, rubbing the tips of her index fingers against each other. Fillip's lips turned into a grimace.

_Crack._

"_NO_."

**xxx**

**... ... ... ... ...  
**

Flaky rubbed the small lump on her forehead after Filliq had brought her fist down on it. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears but she sucked it up. She was in the living room, taking off several pictures bordered by beautifully crafted frames. She already helped Filliq carry the cabinets and cupboards out onto the porch so that Lambert could take them at the main door. Flaky looked at the photos with eyes filled with curiosity. Fillip was in those pictures, having more and more medals, badges and bars of promotion stenciled onto his sleek black army uniform in one photo after the next. Flaky set the pictures down on one side and began taking down the others.

Many of them showed people that Flaky didn't recognize at all: from corporals to lieutenant generals, their grim faces were overshadowed with a broad smile and a saluting hand as cold as stone at their foreheads.

She ran her fingers down a particular man's photo; his facial features had matched Fillip's. She raised the picture above her head and curved her lips into a straight line. He had the same dark green hair and serious face. It somehow hinted his attractive appearance in a animal primitive sort of way.

"O-Oh," Flaky's cheeks soon reddened and her fingers had slipped from the sweaty frame. The picture flew out of her hands. She stepped backwards in hopes of catching a grip of it and failed. The gravitational force was pulling her down and the girl gasped with a cry, "A-Aah!"

A hand had prevented her fall and Flaky felt her back lightly touch the warm torso of a soldier's sweater. Filliq had the painting Flaky was previously holding in his hand in a position which is similar to holding a tray and his body was leaning back with a right knee in the air, as he fought for balance. The hand was firmly placed on Flaky's shoulder.

Flaky gulped.

She looked up slowly, ever so slowly, meeting the expressionless face of Filliq as he looked down on her almost teary face. There were dark circles under his eyes; a sign that he was about to go bat-shit insane and slit her throat. However, the yellow color in his eyes was still present and calm. It was fady but it was definitely there. "You are really clumsy, you know that?" He muttered, maintaining an unreadable stare.

Flaky twitched, jumping out of the man's grip. "I-I'm so sorry!" She yelped, and Filliq straightened up, brushing dust off his sleeves. He looked unfazed and sighed.

"What were you looking at just now?" Filliq pulled a smug look and looked at the photo. One of his eyebrows then rose and he blinked. He then mumbled, "Father?"

"F-F-Father...?" Flaky was still recovering from the shock. She eyed Filliq's eyes nervously. Filliq then smirked, "Sometimes I forgot I even had this picture. Makes me wonder when that bastard Fillip's gonna throw it away."

Flaky frowned, "You're going to throw it away?" Filliq then looked at her with widened eyes. He coughed a snicker, "No way in hell am I doing that. These stuff's like my idol and I took over a god damn week to pick the right frame for this buddy right here." He showed Flaky the picture and declared, "And screw Fillip if he wants to change the frame. I'll kick my own balls if he ever responds to this."

Flaky asked, wondering if what she said was going to be a good question, "Is that photo really important to you?"

Filliq gazed at the photo and let out a soft, inaudible sigh.

"For a psychotic little bitch who kills, yeah. It is," Filliq's vicious tone had faltered for a bit as he finished his sentence. Noticing how Flaky looked curious, he looked away, his left eye twitching. Flaky was starting to think that Filliq did have dreams. Of course, everybody does. Filliq had finally taken into mind that not killing somebody was not easy. Plus, he had to deal with an ever annoying porcupine-haired girl in his own house. She was standing in the middle of the room, completely vulnerable and there was no one who could disturb the both of them. It was perfect for a kill and a torture session.

Well, mostly a torture session.

But he resisted. He tried his best to resist for mother-of-god's sake. "Hey, he's my father. This is the only picture of him that I had. My mother? Well, don't ask," Filliq gave Flaky back the photo, making sure she wouldn't counter back with a smile. He continued, "He was one heck of a colonel back in the fields. Treated the others like little shits - I was an exception.

"He would send me away on the most difficult missions he could think of and I rarely see him. The only times I get to see him is like, I don't know, freaking Christmas maybe. Praise Jesus, he will make the North Star fall and doomsday come.

"And the next day: REBIRTH. Or at least that was what he said. But who cares anyway; he was a fucking bastard." Filliq pouted. Flaky looked at the photo and ran her fingers down on it, commenting, "I think he looks like a good father."

Filliq stared at Flaky for a while and slowly smiled, a smile which belongs to a tease and a killer. More of a killer, "But Flaky, he's much more violent than me. Or do you prefer me being a 'good son' if I follow him, up the steps, to the extinction of mankind?"

Flaky blinked, cupping her mouth. Did Filliq also learn the techniques from his father? Does that mean that his father was more vicious and cruel than the terrifying Filliq? Judging by the smirk on Filliq's face, she thought likewise. Flaky shook her head, not wanting to imagine a battlefield full of dead allies and enemies killed by a single Mr. Knife. "A good son, but in other terms, maybe?"

"Other terms, huh," Filliq shrugged. Flaky tried to suggest possible answers, "Maybe like uh- like having some father-son bonding time?"

The soldier pondered for a while, and raised his shoulders, "Don't even remember when was the last time I played mother fucking golf with him. He would smash the club in my face once in a while."

Flaky nodded, not really expecting answer. She wrinkled her nose and sneezed a little, hugging the photo to her chest. Filliq glared at her with huge eyes and cried, "You're gonna get your germs all over it if you hug it!"

"Eek!" Flaky yelped, hugging the photo tighter unknowingly. Filliq face-palmed, knowing that scaring her would make things worse. It was hard not to kill someone who was utterly standing in his special zone. Letting out his hand, he snatched away the photo and threw it into a box full of pictures in the corner. He then went over and picked the box up with a grunt, "So where do I put these?"

"O-Oh. Um, you can put it in the closet but Fillip never told me about putting anything in the closet..." Flaky mumbled, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway. Filliq blinked; the closet? That was where he kept all his torture tools he got as souvenirs from the Tiger Army. Whips, wires, whatever. No wonder Fillip didn't say anything about the closet and try to move to another subject when people start talking about the 'storeroom'. Filliq wouldn't mind showing Flaky his beautiful hobby but he would wait until the time had come.

Or else the surprise would be ruined. And he wouldn't want that, would he?

Of course not. "Never really been there myself actually," Filliq lied, "Fillip would knock me out before he enters. But I don't give a damn about it. Anyway, I'll put these in my room so don't go fancy-shmancy on the clock and help to put every single antique vase into the corner over _there_." He jerked his right leg out in the direction, pointing over to a row of boxes in front of the closet.

"Alright," Flaky nodded, feeling unsure as she gazed at the boxes. She didn't like handling fragile objects but Petunia had taught her all the right things. The most important thing was, if the object was dusty, the carrier should not sneeze or else all hell would break lose.

When Filliq had disappeared from sight, Flaky moved on to the neat arrangement of antiques. She could see her reflection clearly on the surfaces of each piece. She sighed in relief; it was a good thing that they weren't dusty. Fillip was very particular when it came to perfection. Petunia was worse.

Meanwhile, Filliq had put the box down on the floor with a sigh. God, it was just unacceptable. His instincts were tingling but his body didn't respond. Filliq tried to remind himself by taking out a knife from under his bed, where he kept a 'emergency' collection of hand-to-hand combat weapons. He ran his fingers down the stainless material of the blade and smirked in delight. Perhaps Flaky wouldn't mind if he would just cut a small section of her face, slowly and tenderly. He looked to his left to find a mirror through an ajar door of his wardrobe.

An angry, disappointed face stared at him through the small opening. Filliq froze at that moment, finally meeting his body holder again. "Shit," He muttered so softly that the reflection twitched.

_I cannot believe what you just did to me,_ The reflection said to Filliq, as though it was scolding him like a bragging parent. Filliq kept the knife at his belt and walked over to the wardrobe, peering through the opening with a forced grin. He cooed, "And it's normal for me to do horrible things to myself, right?"

_Should have known I couldn't trust you._

"I bet you couldn't, Fillip," Filliq smiled. Fillip sighed in exasperation again and asked with a hand to his forehead, _So what did you do to Flaky? Killed her?_

Filliq then looked triumphant. "Nope," He simply said. His smile widened as Fillip blinked. His reflection then coughed and asked question to avoid the almost long silence between the two personalities,_ No you can't possibly leave her unharmed. That's just absurd._

"Absurd your face," Filliq countered. He now opened up the empty wardrobe and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest. He then remarked, "Besides, I only scared her out of her wits like an hour ago. Struggled like a small little angelfish - her body was far too weak; easier to kill but harder to handle."

_I'm assuming that hell has gotten to you whenever you try to resist killing Flaky._

The yellow-eyes soldier scowled. It was true after all; he had to admit it. He had to fight the urge which was terribly difficult for him. His hands were just so damn itchy that he needed to wash them in blood, nothing but blood. He was living in a burning inferno and the temptations were piercing through his mind like stakes, impaling his sanity. However, Filliq tried to hold on to the rational side of his mind. He did succeed, for now. "I have other plans for her later and NO, it doesn't involve killing."

_Are you sure?_

"Oh damn yes. Despite the fact Flaky's a paranoid freak, under that thick clothing of hers lies a body of beauty. I can't wait to paint it and cut the lines," Filliq licked his lips, savoring the thought of another bloody scene. Fillip widened his eyes in shock and narrowed his eyes, _Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare steal her life again._

Filliq chuckled darkly, "You said that I cannot kill anyone today, yes? But you didn't say that I can't torture anybody."

_Y-You wouldn't-_

"And I believe that Flaky hasn't seen the closet yet," Filliq pointed out, glancing at the door for only a moment. Flaky was carrying a small vase and was humming a small melody. Her innocent figure concealed her inner curiosity of what lied behind the storeroom doors. "It would be a waste if we don't show the room to anybody. Why not give Flaky a chance and let her be the first person to open our treasure chest?"

_I tried so hard to keep that secret and you're going to blow it?_ Fillip almost screamed.

"I never considered bringing her there so I thought it would be impolite not to show her," Filliq innocently imitated Flaky's timid behavior. Fillip's left eye twitched. Why in the bloody name of God did he give his body to the last person he wanted to see? Why, why, _why?_ He couldn't cry over spilt milk because he knew that what was done cannot be undone. _Please don't do anything stupid to her. She's terrified of you!_

"But it's more fun to torture a person who is scared of me."

_And you're doing it for self-entertainment? What are you?_

"I am you," Filliq reminded Fillip who then fell into deep silence. He then grimly said, "When you take in pleasure, I take in suffering. So if I'm taking pleasure, you suffer. We're both equal, aren't we? A fair game with fair rules is a fair game.

"So you'd better shut your mouth before I smash her into bits in front of you," Filliq growled menacingly, with a threat bordering on the venom. Not daring to see the regretful face of Fillip's, he slammed the wardrobe shut and stood up. He brushed the dust from his pants and sighed deeply. He had to go back to deal with Flaky again.

_"A-AHH!" Bang._

Except that he heard a deafening cry and a loud bang as though something had fallen onto the floor. Or possibly someone.

Running out of his room, Filliq found Flaky on the floor with her hands around a vase which was miraculously intact. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she was mumbling incoherent words about the pain in her head and her backside. She looked at Filliq who was utterly confused. What the hell had happened. Flaky tried to ignore the pain by forcing a smile, "The vase was kinda slippery so I..."

She stopped mid-sentence, unable to think of a better ending when she saw the quirk in Filliq's brows. Flaky then gulped and finished with different words, "... I can't stand up."

Flaky regretted what she had said, because within a matter of seconds, he was already on the ground, sliding his hands under her back and her thighs. She was somehow scared of how tight his grip was and the fact that his face was dangerously close to hers. Flaky's cheeks reddened at that moment and she tried to stay reading in his eyes probably showed mysterious craving for something she couldn't smug look on his face was clearly written but, under the expressionless mask on his face, was him screaming like a pansy because he wasn't able to force the vase into her body even if he wanted to.

"Where does it hurt?" He said, ultimately relieved that he was hiding his choking sobs. Flaky swallowed and whimpered like a small pup, "My abdomen hurts and so does my head..."

"I see." Flaky focused on how his lips had mouthed those words rather than his voice. He sounded like a stressed police officer, judging by the tone. She then heard a grunt before his arms around her steadied. By the next second she was slowly lifted, having to go through the pain going about in her lower half. Her thighs slipped through Filliq's right hand which caught hold of her knees on the precise moment. The feeling made her shiver with fear and discomfort.

In fact, she was feeling extremely uncomfortable in Filliq's arms. It was either her head pressed close to his chest or that he wasn't a gentleman when it came to carrying females. His hand was clutching her upper harm a little too hard.

_I don't like what you're doing. _

Filliq somehow froze at the voice, but he kept his mind straight. He knew that Fillip couldn't see through his eyes, but his body holder was able to feel what he can touch. After the talk through the mirror, Fillip had the chance to tap into Filliq's senses.

And he didn't feel so much at ease either. "Which part of your head hurts?" Filliq tried to turn to another subject before dealing with Fillip. Flaky nuzzled in his black shirt, mumbling, "Every part."

Every part. Perfect. Filliq moved through the living room, feeling Flaky's hair tickling his chest. He quickly set her down on the sofa before stepping back to brush off her dandruff from his clothes. Flaky adjusted her position and rested her head on the cushions. She felt better, at least, before she looked up.

"This is probably the second time I've helped you," Filliq was staring at her the whole time. His hand was in his pocket; a dangerous sign it was. He walked over to the foot of the couch and bent down, cupping her chin and angling her face up so that he could see her stunned and scared expression.

Maybe he could do it right here, right now. He couldn't resist it anymore. "Now where should we start?"

Taking out the shard of glass he picked up from the bathroom, he placed it carefully on Flaky's cheek and stopped. He wanted to see how she would react before he cut her face. The girl was shifting restlessly on the sofa, unable to speak as her throat was swollen from her frightened state. Her eyes were shut tight and she could feel his breath on her forehead.

Filliq noticed that she was already crying as tears were pouring out from her eyes. Her lips parted to try to speak a word but nothing came out. He reconsidered and knew that the tears would be too much to coat her face in blood.

Flaky prayed that he would go away, but then she felt something warm and wet on her temples and below her right eye. She opened her left to find Filliq licking her tears off from her face, slowly whilst sucking on the white pale skin. Flaky blushed and gulped as she yelled in her mind on what he was doing to her. The glass shard was practically poking her cheek but it didn't spell blood.

His hand then moved from her chin to the left side of her face as it rubbed away the salty tears from her temples. Filliq nipped on her skin before switching over to her left eye, washing away the tears and whispering with a grim smile, "Don't you cry now..."

The red-haired girl had stopped crying but was only sniffling. The pain she had experienced before was now gone, and she felt slightly more calm than usual. Even though Filliq's fingers were pressing too hard on her temples, she had forgotten the bad things that had happened to her. However, though, the pain had returned as the shard was now poking deeper into her skin, almost breaking through it.

It felt sharp and painful, and Flaky squirmed in fear. Her heart rate increased and its pace quickened-

"SPECIAL DEEEELLIIIVVEERYYY!"

Filliq stopped. The shard was moments before cutting the skin and the soldier took it away. Flaky opened up the eye which wasn't licked and felt terribly awkward by the sudden call. Filliq then swore to himself: Lambert.

Why the hell did he come so early? It was only thirty minutes before he could arrive at Filliq's place. He stood up in frustration and wiped his mouth with his arm. He then looked at Flaky and commanded, "Don't. Move." Flaky did nothing but obeyed, against her will to scream for help. Filliq stormed over to the door and peeked through the peephole.

An image of Lambert waving like a goof disgusted him. He ripped the door open and demanded, "Why are you half an hour early?"

"What? I'm thirty minutes early?" Lambert ruffled his sky-blue hair in confusion, "That's strange. Was my clock broken when I got here or something?"

"How the hell should I know?" Filliq said out loudly, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails had almost dug into his skin. He then looked back at Flaky who didn't move an inch but only gazed back at him with uncertain eyes. Filliq then returned to Lambert and sighed, "Well, too bad anyway. You'll have to wait here for the next thirty minutes.

"Okay?"

"Wait, I-"

"OKAY. GOOD DAY," Filliq slammed the door in the man's face before Lambert could continue his sentence. The soldier slumped down onto the floor and groaned. His attempt to torture Flaky was ruined by Lambert and this wasn't the first time. Flaky tried to stay still but she couldn't. Her eyes were darting about as Filliq was stomping all over the living room with his head clutched in his hands.

He screamed.


End file.
